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Home , Bob Allison, Brad Radke, Byron Buxton, Eduardo Escobar, Herb Carneal, John Ryan Murphy

Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, January 29, 2016

 Sano, Hunter honored at Diamond Awards. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 1  2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 outfielders. MLB.com (Mayo) p. 2  John Ryan Murphy fills Twins' needs behind plate. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Hartman: TwinsFest mood turns more upbeat. Star Tribune (Hartman) p. 4  Diamond Awards bring Twins, fans together for a good cause. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 5  Twins unveil new red home jerseys. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 6  Memories deep for Mike Strong as he joins hometown team. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7  honored with lifetime achievement award. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8  ’s next job? For now, Twins instructor. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9  Illness keeps from collecting Diamond Award. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9  Twins unveil redesigned home alternate uniform. FOX Sports North p. 10  Twins announce new alternate home uniform and it’s very red. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 10  Logan Darnell will stay in Twins organization, outrighted to -A Rochester. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11  Twins 2016 outlook: Eduardo Escobar, the Twins’ other power-hitting middle infielder. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11  team outlook. CBS Sports (Melchior) p. 13

Sano, Hunter honored at Diamond Awards

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | January 29, 2016

Miguel Sano was the big winner at the 11th annual Diamond Awards on Thursday at , as the young slugger took home both the Calvin R. Griffith Award for Twins MVP and the Bill Boni Award for Twins Most Outstanding Rookie.

It was another successful night for the Diamond Awards, which are based on voting by the Twin Cities chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The event benefits research, education and care in brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota.

Sano, who finished third in the balloting for Rookie of the Year, took home two awards to join Torii Hunter as the only Twins player to receive multiple honors.

"I'm so really happy for this moment," Sano said. "I just want to thank Torii Hunter, Paul Molitor and all the staff here -- Terry Ryan. Just thanks to everyone."

Hunter, who retired after last season, also received a pair of awards, as he was the winner of both the Award and the Mike Augustin "Media Good Guy" Award. The Bob Allison Award is given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field.

Hunter said he's enjoying retirement but admitted it was hard to see his former teammates getting ready for another season.

"I'm still working out so it's still normal for me in the offseason and to be at this event with my teammates I love, but it hurts," Hunter said. "I know I'll never be able to play with these guys anymore. But I'm still going to be there for them. I love these guys."

Other winners included as the club's of the Year, as Twins Defensive Player of the Year, as Twins Most Improved Player and Pirates reliever Tony Watson as the Upper Midwest Player of the Year. Additionally, Brian Dozier received the Carl R. Pohlad Community Service Award for his charity efforts.

The Diamond Awards also honored Max Kepler as the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year and Jose Berrios as the Twins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year. It was the second straight honor for Berrios, who took home the award last year as well. Additionally, Julio Becquer was the winner of the Alumni Community Service Award and high school coach Craig Anderson won the Terry Ryan Award as a friend of the game of baseball.

Former Twins manager Tom Kelly also received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Kelly, who guided the Twins to two titles in his time as manager from 1986-2001, was honored at the Diamond Awards four years ago when he had his No. 10 retired.

"With the Lifetime Achievement Award, it's great any time your name is mentioned with the late great Herb Carneal," Kelly said. "I'm just lucky I was in the right opportunity and had the chance to manage a couple World Series winning teams."

2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 outfielders

Jonathan Mayo | MLB.com | January 28, 2016

For the third (and likely the last) time, this Top 10 -- the final by-position ranking unveiled prior to the Top 100 Prospects list -- is headed by the Twins' Byron Buxton. He may not have taken the world by storm during his big league debut, but neither did . And, let's face it, Buxton's tools across the board are unparalleled.

Behind Buxton, there has been some change. Four from last year's list of outfield prospects have graduated, including All-Star Joc Pederson, and two others have dropped off. That's opened the door for some prospects, headlined by a pair of Rangers and a pair of Indians (one of whom was on the preseason list a year ago).

1. Byron Buxton, Twins Yes, it seems like Buxton has been at the top of this and other lists forever. And yes, at 129 at-bats, he's going to graduate off soon. But Buxton still has the most exciting set of all-around tools among all prospects. There is a sense of "the time is now" for him, and he should get to prove himself with Aaron Hicks no longer in Minnesota.

2. , Rangers Brinson has always had a tremendous power-speed combination, but what has allowed him to take a huge step forward has been a vast improvement in his approach at the plate. As he has cut down on his and upped his walk rate, he's tapped into his hitting and power potential consistently, giving him true 30-30 potential.

3. Nomar Mazara, Rangers Like Brinson, Mazara's improved approach at the plate has helped him take the next step as a prospect. He has the tools teams look for from the prototypical right fielder: a power arm and a power bat. Rangers fans should be excited about having Brinson and Mazara ready to make up two-thirds of the big league outfield in the near future.

4. Austin Meadows, Pirates After a lost year in 2014 because of injury, Meadows' key focus was to stay healthy in 2015. He did just that, showing the plus hitting skills that made him a first-round pick in 2013. Meadows hits for average, he gets on base, he can run and he can play center field. The power is going to come, as he'll turn just 21 in May while showing what he can do in -A after a brief debut there late this past season.

5. Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox Few, if any, 2015 draftees improved their stock more than Benintendi did as a Draft-eligible sophomore at Arkansas last year. He kept it going during his pro debut after the Red Sox took him No. 7 overall, hitting a combined .313/.416/.556 across two levels. Benintendi can do a lot of everything well and shouldn't take too long to be ready to impact Boston's big league outfield.

6. Bradley Zimmer, Indians After dominating the Advanced Carolina League during his full-season debut in 2015, Zimmer struggled a bit in Double-A. He deserves a mulligan, however, as it turns out he was playing with a hairline fracture in his foot. The University of San Francisco product's 44 steals last season were a bit of a 2 surprise and there should be more power coming, so future 20-20 seasons seem entirely feasible. Top Prospects: Zimmer, CLE

7. Clint Frazier, Indians The second of two Indians outfielders on this list, Frazier didn't join Zimmer in the climb to Double-A, but he certainly looked like he figured some things out in the second half of 2015. He's always had as much bat speed as just about any prospect, but an overly aggressive approach was often his downfall. Frazier started doing a better job of working the count and continued having success in the , setting him up for an exciting jump to the upper levels.

8. , Yankees The 2013 first-round pick out of Fresno State is officially knocking on the big league door. Judge well in Double-A in 2015 (.516 SLG, .866 OPS), earning a bump up to Triple-A. He scuffled there, but even though he profiles as a potential slugging run producer, he's also shown an ability in the past to make adjustments. Once Judge does that, he should be ready for his New York debut.

9. Brett Phillips, Brewers Phillips broke out in 2014 with the Astros, then kept on raking in 2015 before being sent to the Brewers in the big Carlos Gomez deal at last year's Trade Deadline. He got banged up after the trade, but he did return to help Biloxi make it to the Southern League championship series. Phillips continued to hit well in the Fall League before heading to play for Team USA. He has a terrific combination of hitting, power and speed tools that shouldn't need too much more development.

10. , Reds Winker was staring at a .248/.352/.349 line at the end of the first half of his 2015 season. Instead of trying to do too much to get out of it, he stuck to his game plan and hit .316/.426/.516 in the second half. That's a much better representation of what Winker will be able to do at the highest level. There's no real roadblock in left field for Cincy, with Winker likely to be ready at some point in the near future.

Next up Anthony Alford was splitting time between pro ball and college football, which certainly hampered his development. Now focused on baseball full-time, he's breaking out, with a .298/.398/.421 combined line in 2015, leaving many wondering just what he'd be doing if he hadn't missed so much time. Alford has shown more feel for the game as a future leadoff type than anticipated, leaving the Blue Jays very excited for what's to come.

For years, the Twins patiently waited for Max Kepler, their big international signing out of Germany in 2009, and his raw tools to start showing up in terms of game production. It all really started to click last year, as he hit for average, walked more than he struck out and stole some bases, all en route to making his big league debut. There's power to come from Kepler's left-handed swing as well.

John Ryan Murphy fills Twins' needs behind plate

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | January 29, 2016

John Ryan Murphy never expected to be drafted in the second round, never guessed he would someday receive cut fastballs from in , and certainly never foresaw graduating to what the Twins hope and project will be a long tenure as their starting .

See, when this whole fast-forward adventure started, shortly after he graduated from high school in 2009, Murphy was acutely aware of one complication that he figured would make this whole scenario impossible. He was excited to be a professional, but he realized that … well, let’s let Murphy give his own scouting report.

“The truth is, I wasn’t very good at catching,” Murphy said on the eve of meeting his new teammates at this weekend’s TwinsFest. “I mean, I had only been a catcher for two years, and I made a lot of mistakes. My mechanics were a mess.”

Yet shortly after his 18th birthday, the Yankees made Murphy the 76th player, and seventh catcher, taken in the draft. And if they hadn’t, the Twins might have a round or two later because, Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. Minnesota scouts had a similar high opinion of the Bradenton, Fla., native — and a similar impression of his catching skills.

“He was raw, that’s true. But he showed a lot of the skills you need as a catcher. He was athletic back there, he could move around, he had a good arm,” said Ryan, who traded away outfielder Aaron Hicks last November to acquire Murphy from New York. “I don’t think any scout worries about what a catcher looks like at 18. You understand that, especially at that position, he’ll need to develop, and learn, and improve. And he did.”

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In fact, only three of the chosen ahead of Murphy have reached the major leagues, and only Oakland’s Josh Phegley has played more games than Murphy’s 115-game career. And when the trade to Minnesota was announced, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said, “The Twins got themselves an everyday catcher.”

That will be up to Ryan and manager Paul Molitor, but Murphy, who spent last season as the principal backup to All-Star catcher Brian McCann, has the pedigree for it. He’s a graduate of the Pendleton School, which is the academic arm of the famed IMG Academy founded by tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. His classmates were world-class junior soccer stars, top football recruits and tennis savants from around the world, all drawn to Bradenton just as Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles once were.

Wait, isn’t it difficult for a young athlete to enroll at such an exclusive athletic seminary?

“I wouldn’t know,” Murphy deadpanned.

That’s because he had an advantage that countless teenage ballplayers would envy. His mother had known Bollettieri since she was a child, and when the famed tennis coach opened the academy in 1978, he asked her to help. “She’s been there since Day 1,” Murphy said. “I grew up around that place” and was attracted to its sports-intensive schedule.

His high school days were spent in classrooms with teens from all over the globe before lunch, then doing weight training, skills development and playing baseball afterward. “It’s definitely not a high school atmosphere, it’s more like college. You do your work, then you get training in your sport,” Murphy said.

For Murphy, that meant pitching or playing third base. Then his IMG coach approached him before his sophomore season with some advice. “He said, ‘There aren’t many 5-10 third basemen. Maybe you should try catching?’ ” Murphy recalled. “I liked it right away, and I’ve been a catcher ever since.”

Well, almost. The Yankees, concerned about his mechanics, tried him again at third base briefly in Class A in 2011. But Murphy, with the help of Yankees catching instructor Julio Mosquera, intensified his work behind the plate, learning to block pitches in the dirt with his body rather than being, as scouts worried, “a reacher.” As his catching improved, his hitting did, too, as he learned to think along with and anticipate what was coming.

“All the mind games, to me, that’s the best part of the game. I like to read people, read the hitters, think about what they’re thinking,” Murphy said. “It’s made me better at the plate, too.”

Murphy, 24, is a gap-to-gap hitter with only occasional power, but the Twins believe his hitting will improve with experience. He batted .277 in 172 plate appearances last year, and hit a ninth-inning at Target Field to beat closer in July.

That homer wasn’t the reason the Twins wanted him to supplement — and in all likelihood, eventually replace — veteran this winter. But “it’s a memory our fans have of what he can do,” Ryan said. “We needed a catcher, and we think we got a good one.”

Hartman: TwinsFest mood turns more upbeat

Sid Hartman | Star Tribune | January 29, 2016

The Twins have 34 days until their first spring training game on March 2, and this weekend brings TwinsFest to Target Field. Twins President Dave St. Peter said fans are excited, with the team coming off an 83-79 record and second-place finish in the AL Central last season.

“We know that our team took a significant step forward in 2015,” St. Peter said. “And where there were questions for our team going into spring training [last season], I think the good news is there’s far fewer than existed a year ago, and there’s much more optimism that we can continue to get better and find ourselves competing once again for postseason play.”

St. Peter said the team expects most of the current roster to be in town for TwinsFest.

“Really, it continues to be a great showcase for all of our players, well north of 60 current and former players,” he said. “I think out of the 40-man roster, we’ll have upwards of 37 or 38 … as well as a number of top prospects, a lot of guys who aren’t on that roster yet but are on fans’ minds.”

While the Twins weren’t too active in the free-agent market, they did make a huge international signing in designated hitter Byung Ho Park of South Korea. Twins fans can expect to see him this weekend at Target Field.

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“If not now, then very soon [Park] will be in Arizona working out, really beginning to assimilate to the United States,” St. Peter said. “He’ll come to Minnesota for a variety of things, including TwinsFest. He was at the Diamond Awards [banquet at Target Field on Thursday] and then right after TwinsFest, his plan is to go to Fort Myers [Fla.] and begin working out at the CenturyLink Complex and get ready for spring training.

“We’re very excited about the way he is approaching this transition and again, we understand it will be a transition, but we’re optimistic that Byung Ho Park is going to have success in the big leagues, and hopefully sooner rather than later.”

St. Peter also said the Twins have invited retired outfielder Torii Hunter to spring training to instruct players.

“We have made that invite to him and a couple other guys to come in as guest instructors,” St. Peter said. “I’m sure [General Manager Terry Ryan] and that group will have something to announce on that front in the relatively near future. That’s our hope. I continue to have hopes to have Torii involved in our organization in a variety of ways.”

Hunter received two awards at the annual Diamond Awards. Proceeds from the banquet go to the University of Minnesota’s research and patient care in ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), ataxia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease. Hunter also will be at TwinsFest this weekend.

High expectations

A year ago, the Twins broke a four-season streak of having 90 or more losses and finally started to see promise from young stars such as Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario.

St. Peter said the fans are responding to those expectations and increasing ticket sales.

“It’s better,” he said. “We have a ways to go to ultimately get where we want to be, but we feel good about our chances of building on last year’s attendance [of 2,220,054] and going back north of 2.3 million, hopefully approaching 2.5 million in total attendance. Our season-ticket base, we expect to see a nice increase there, the first time we have seen that in five years, which is a good thing. Our new center field [all-inclusive seating] area, CATCH, I expect that to sell out in the next week or so. There is some limited membership there.

“We’re in better shape than we have been in the last four or five years, and that is certainly bolstered around what’s gone on with our baseball team and [manager] Paul Molitor and our younger players, but also I think just the continued belief that the Target Field experience is among the best in sports.”

While many fans hoped the Twins would pursue more free agents, St. Peter said the team was hesitant with some players because of the high price of signing them and the potential loss of draft picks for Class A free agents. But the team might still make some moves.

“There are a lot of [unsigned free agents], and I know that’s something that Terry and our guys are keeping an eye on,” St. Peter said. “You never know if there will be a fit to bolster our club, perhaps on a short-term deal. We’ve done that in the past and we’re not afraid to do that again. I can assure you it’s all about trying to be opportunistic. A couple guys on the free-agent market are also tied to losing a draft pick if you sign them, so that’s something to keep an eye on. I think the Royals just went through that with [righthanded starter Ian] Kennedy that they added to their roster. So we’ll see how that plays out.

“I think we’re confident with our club going to spring training, but I know if the opportunity presents itself, Terry wouldn’t have any hesitancy in recommending to [owner Jim Pohlad] that we make some additions.”

Yes, for the first time in a number of years, fans can head to TwinsFest with hope that the team can compete for a division title and a postseason berth.

Diamond Awards bring Twins, fans together for a good cause

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | January 29, 2016

The Twins on Thursday held their annual Diamond Awards event, a joint venture between the Twins and local baseball writers benefiting University of Minnesota medical research and education. Here were some of the highlights:

Silent auction must-haves

The three best sports-related silent auction items I saw, in descending order.

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3: A framed autographed Kirby Puckett picture. Anything with Puckett is a winner, but this was particularly well-done.

2: A round of golf for three at Hazeltine. Play the Ryder Cup course? Sign me up.

1: Brian Dozier batting lesson before a home game at Target Field. How cool is that? The description said the date was “to be mutually agreed upon” and also included four game tickets. It had a suggested value of $500.

The winners

The centerpiece of the event is the distribution of awards from the 2015 season, as voted on by writers who cover the team. The award-winners were named in October, but they were presented their awards Thursday. Among them:

The big winner: Miguel Sano was named both the Twins MVP and also the team’s top rookie — a double play not accomplished since snagged both awards more than a half-century ago.

Other awards

Torii Hunter won the Bob Allison Award, given to the player who “exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership, both on and off the field,” while also taking the media good-guy honor.

Kyle Gibson was named Twins Pitcher of the Year, while Aaron Hicks — who has since been traded to the Yankees — was voted the team’s Most Improved Player. Eddie Rosario was elected Defensive Player of the Year.

Quotable

“Yeah, this is the year.”

- Jose Berrios, named the Twins organization’s top minor league pitcher for the second year in a row, when asked if 2016 is the year he makes his Twins debut.

“This is one of the greatest things I’ve ever received in my life.”

- Julio Becquer, former Twins player, who won the Kirby Puckett Award for Alumni Community Service.

“Expectations will be higher, but that’s fine. That’s what we want.”

- Twins manager Paul Molitor on the 2016 season.

“Everybody’s mentioning Torii so I guess I’d better bring him up.”

- Gibson, noting that a lot of teammates were giving thanks to the retired outfielder, who was in attendance.

Twins unveil new red home jerseys

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | January 28, 2016

The Twins on Thursday unveiled new red alternate home jerseys — just in time for TwinsFest, which begins Friday at Target Field. They will be available for purchase at the clubhouse store.

They feature a red cap and red jersey top, both with simple “TC” logos on them. They introduced in 2010 alternate home jerseys with pinstripes, blue caps and blue lettering — so clearly these are much different.

The Twins have a pretty cool infographic explaining the particulars of the new jerseys as well as looking at the evolution of Twins uniforms through the years. As for what the public thinks? Predictably, reaction has been mixed. A sample of two tweets in reply to the Twins account after the jerseys were 6 tweeted out.

Twins: Memories run deep for Mike Strong as he joins hometown team

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | January 29, 2016

This should be a surreal weekend for Mike Strong.

Born in Afton and raised in St. Paul until he was 5, the former Stillwater High School star was claimed off waivers last week by the Twins from the Miami Marlins.

The newest Twins bullpen option, the left-handed Strong will be part of the three-day TwinsFest that starts Friday at Target Field.

“Growing up, I always followed the Twins,” Strong said. “I always had my Twins hat on. They’re still today my favorite team.”

When he was 2, his family dressed him up in full Twins regalia for the obligatory trip to the local photo studio. Wearing a Twins cap and Twins overalls, Strong placed his left hand on the baseball, his right hand on the toy bat and smiled for the camera.

His older sister Kaylin, who lives in Oak Park Heights, emailed him a long-lost copy of that photo last weekend after he officially joined the Twins.

Now 27, Strong doesn’t recall attending TwinsFest in his youth. But he does remember attending a handful of Twins home games each year at the Metrodome.

The first of those came in late July 1996, when Strong was 7. His brother Adam, who is 8 years older, took him to see the Twins play the .

“We sat behind the first-base dugout,” Strong said. “There was a Red Sox infielder, I think it was Jeff Frye, and in between innings he threw me a ball. He got the last out and was running in to the dugout, and he threw me the ball. It wasn’t a Twin, but that was still pretty cool.”

Strong got to run the bases a few times after Sunday afternoon games at the Dome, but he says “probably the coolest thing” was when he was 12 and his Lower St. Croix Valley youth team played Eagan in an exhibition on the spongy big-league surface.

“We got there early,” Strong said. “We were trying to rob home runs up against the baggy. I got to throw an inning. It was pretty exciting.”

This was in 2001, and it marked the first time Strong or any of his teammates had the chance to pitch with a radar gun recording their results. Somebody noticed the gun was set up behind home plate, and that immediately became the day’s focal point.

“Whoever wasn’t playing would go back to see how hard everyone was throwing,” Strong said. “I think I was 57-58 (miles per hour).”

Bill Strong, Mike’s dad, was his coach from tee ball through age 15. From there, Strong became a standout for the powerful Stillwater Ponies baseball program under coach Ricky Michel.

“I never went to a Twins camp or anything like that,” Strong said. “It was more just watching all the pitchers. Obviously you loved watching Kirby Puckett and Carlos Gomez and all those guys, too, but I absolutely loved watching (Johan) Santana, (Francisco) Liriano and, even though he was right-handed, .”

By his senior year of high school in 2007, Strong was taking aim on another Twins lefty: Glen Perkins.

In 2000-01, Perkins set the Ponies’ single-season mark for lowest earned-run average (0.57), posting that mark as both as junior and senior. Going into Strong’s sectional playoff game against White Bear Lake, Perkins’ record was in jeopardy.

The game was scoreless into the sixth inning when White Bear Lake pieced together a five-run rally that included the only balk called against Strong all season. There also was a pair of attempts that went for hits as Stillwater saw its season end and, with it, Strong’s prep career.

His final ERA as a senior: 1.03.

“I remember it like yesterday,” Michel, retired from coaching and now the school’s activities director, wrote in an email. “We scratched out one hit on the 7 day for Mike. Clearly, (it was) a game where the score did not reflect his performance.”

That story just might come up this weekend when Strong meets Perkins, his new teammate, at TwinsFest. Adam Strong played on a couple of youth teams with Perkins, but Mike Strong, who played at Iowa Western Community College and Oklahoma State, never crossed paths with him.

“Just going through Stillwater High School, you know all the records he set,” Strong said. “For me coming up and him being a lefty, I was somewhat compared to him. I’ve never personally met him, but obviously I know of him and see what he’s doing now.”

Michel, who coached both lefties during a hall of fame career, looks back proudly at the accomplishments of both Strong and Perkins.

“Mike was a young man who loved baseball and pitching,” Michel wrote. “He worked on it a great deal and actually exceeded our expectations. He really took hold of being the ace of the staff his senior year. His confidence grew, and so did his mental toughness.

“It was great to see Mike set lofty goals for himself. He had a lively fastball with a good curveball. His teammates loved him, and unlike Glen, he loved taking (batting practice) and hitting.”

Working on a streak of three-straight American League all-star selections, Perkins anchors the Twins’ bullpen in the closer role. How remarkable would it be if Strong, who finished last year in Triple-A in the system, could make his big-league debut in the same bullpen as his fellow Stillwater Pony?

“Two Stillwater lefties?” Strong said with a laugh. “Now that would be awesome.”

Twins: Tom Kelly honored with lifetime achievement award

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | January 29, 2016

Tom Kelly, who managed the Twins to the only two World Series titles in their history, was honored Thursday evening with the Herb Carneal Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“If you get on this lifetime thing, it means you’re getting old,” Kelly, 65, told a sellout crowd at the 11th annual Diamond Awards at Target Field. “I try to keep up, that’s all.”

One of 13 men to manage the Twins in their 55 seasons, Kelly led upstart teams to surprise titles in both 1987 and 1991. Both World Series went the distance as the Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals and , respectively.

A Graceville, Minn., native, Kelly retired after the 2001 season at age 51, having led the Twins to 1,140 wins in 16 seasons. Fully recovered from a minor stroke in the fall of 2014, he remains a special assistant in the club’s front office.

“Having the opportunity to be in the right spot and manage a couple World Series teams … and having some wonderful players play,” Kelly said, “the memories that they created for all of us in the Upper Midwest and especially and St. Paul is something that we’ll always have to hang onto.”

A member of the Twins organization for all but one of the past 45 years, Kelly played parts of nine seasons in the Twins system. All 49 of his major league games as a /outfielder came with the Twins in 1975.

He became a player-manager in 1977 with Triple-A Tacoma. By September 1986, he was managing the big club.

“You get reminded of certain little things that happened in games and during the course of the season that put a smile on your face, which is always a good thing,” Kelly said. “Sometimes all that stuff falls in place and the wheel spins without any broken spokes, and it will spin pretty good.”

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Torii Hunter’s next job? For now, Twins spring training instructor

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | January 28, 2016

The Twins leaned hard on Torii Hunter in an attempt to add the newly retired outfielder to their roster of special assistants, but for now he remains a free agent.

“Officially, no,” he said Thursday when asked if he had a role with the team. “At the moment, I’m just going at my pace. They pushed me right away. I’m still considering it. It’s not a ‘no.’ It’s just, ‘Put it on the back burner for a minute.’ “

The 40-year-old Hunter, who was to be honored with a pair of Diamond Awards from the Twin Cities chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, did say he had agreed to spend 10 days as a special instructor at Twins spring training this year. His stint begins Feb. 26 and runs through March 6.

Nothing formal has been worked out beyond that.

“When the Twins need me, they’ll call,” he said. “I’m putting baseball on the back burner for now.”

Both the and , for whom Hunter spent his seven-year, self-described “exile” from the Twins, have reached out to discuss potential front-office positions. He said he had no interest in taking a position with any team he hadn’t played for.

As for broadcast opportunities, he said he canceled a scheduled meeting next week with Fox television. He has an open invitation from MLB Network to continue doing freelance broadcast work.

“I’m on call,” he said. “I’m on call (for teams). I’m on call for networks. I just go in when I want to.”

In the meantime, he said he is concentrating on his business interests, including negotiations regarding an equity stake with a Frisco, Texas-based company called Fieldhouse USA.

“They have basketball tournaments, volleyball tournaments,” he said. “It’s an indoor facility for families and different things like that.”

For now, Hunter is enjoying himself in retirement after spending recent months traveling with wife Katrina and watching his two sons who play college football at Notre Dame and Arkansas State.

“All is well,” he said. “I’m in a happy place right now. Of course, spring training hasn’t started.”

Illness keeps Max Kepler from collecting Diamond Award

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | January 28, 2016

An ailing Max Kepler had to send his regrets for Thursday’s 11th annual Diamond Awards at Target Field.

Kepler, 22, was named Twins minor league player of the year after dominating the Southern League and reaching the majors in September. However, the highly regarded outfielder has been battling an upper respiratory problem and was advised by his doctor to avoid air travel.

“Nothing serious,” agent Paul Cobbe wrote in an email to the Pioneer Press. “He just needs to get over (it) before camp. He is really bummed about it.”

Kepler, signed out of Germany in 2009, travels extensively each offseason, including annual trips to his homeland. recently rated him the Twins’ No. 3 prospect in its annual rankings.

Right-hander Jose Berrios, who repeated as Award winner for the Twins’ minor league pitcher of the year, had better luck. Berrios made the trip from Puerto Rico with his wife and 20-month-old daughter.

TONKIN TIES KNOT

For the second straight year, a TwinsFest no-show had a very good excuse. 9

Like former Twins catcher Chris Herrmann a year ago, right-hander Michael Tonkin is busy with final preparations for his wedding.

Tonkin, 26, is set to marry Becky Feeney on Friday in the Los Angeles area. Fellow right-hander Alex Meyer, Tonkin’s Triple-A Rochester teammate for much of the past two seasons, was flying west on Thursday but said he planned to attend both weekend days of TwinsFest.

Also heading to Tonkin’s wedding were Twins lefty Logan Darnell and ex-Twins right-hander A.J. Achter.

Darnell, who had been designated for assignment after left-hander Mike Strong was claimed off waivers last week, cleared waivers himself and was outrighted to Rochester on Thursday. Darnell also planned to attend both weekend days of TwinsFest.

BRIEFLY

— Because of a “family situation,” longtime Twins television play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer was forced to step aside from his annual role as master of ceremonies at Thursday’s Diamond Awards. Twins radio voice Cory Provus was called out of the bullpen on Wednesday, giving him a day to prepare for a fundraising event that will be shown at a later date on Fox Sports North.

— Other Diamond Award winners included Torii Hunter (Media Good Guy and Outstanding Leadership), Miguel Sano (Most Valuable Twin and Twins Rookie of the Year), Kyle Gibson (Twins Pitcher of the Year), Eddie Rosario (Twins Defensive Player of the Year), Aaron Hicks (Most Improved Twin), Brian Dozier (Outstanding Community Service), reliever Tony Watson (Upper Midwest Player of the Year), Craig Anderson (Friend to the Game), Julio Becquer (Alumni Community Service). The Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award was also set to be announced after 9 p.m. Thursday.

Twins unveil redesigned home alternate uniform

FOX Sports North | January 28, 2016

The Twins on Thursday unveiled their redesigned home alternate jerseys for 2016.

Emphasis on the RED.

The new jersey is a red shirt with a TC logo outlined in Kasota gold and comes with red alternate caps. The jersey also features a Minnie & Paul patch outlined in Kasota gold and scarlet red, Kasota gold and navy blue piping along the sleeves and neckline.

The Twins will wear the jerseys for their 13 Friday home games this season. The team last redesigned its home alternate jerseys before the 2010 seasons and last wore red alternate jerseys during the 1997 season.

Twins announce new alternate home uniform and it’s very red

Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | January 28, 2016

The Twins are introducing a new home alternate jersey: all red.

The new jerseys, red with a red cap, the blue and white “TC” letters surrounded by gold trim, will be worn occasionally for home games, the team announced Thursday.

You can see model an example here, in this nifty infographic the Twins published. he team has already selected 13 Friday home games to wear the home reds.

They’re still sticking with the home whites as their main uniform, with the Twinstripes serving as their first alternate. For road games, they’ll go with the classic gray with the Minnesota script across the front, and the blues (same Minnesota script) as the road alternate.

The new alternate home uniform and red cap remind me of spring training a year ago. I have to be honest, I didn’t like the look at first but it grew on me a little bit. The gold trim especially was a nice subtle touch that I didn’t really appreciate at first.

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This is a ways away still, but I’m looking forward to Cory Provus’ mid-summer pregame calls.

Twins in the red unis. Red cap, blue bill, gold trim with the letters ‘TC’ on the chest.

For those interested the Twins also posted a video featuring Paul Molitor and Joe Mauer, complete with very dramatic music that gets into some new- school funk, to show off the new unis.

Logan Darnell will stay in Twins organization, outrighted to Triple-A Rochester

Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | January 28, 2016

Logan Darnell is sticking around in the Twins’ organization.

The lefthander cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester, according to communications director Dustin Morse. Darnell will be invited to spring training with a chance to make the team.

Darnell was put on waivers because the Twins needed to make room on the 40-man roster for Mike Strong, a left-handed pitcher they claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins last week.

Darnell clearing waivers is both good and bad news for the Twins, depending on your perspective. On one hand, the Twins get to keep a pitcher they like, and a left-handed pitcher at that. On the other hand, clearing waivers means Darnell, who turns 27 next week, was unwanted by 29 other clubs that would have had to open a 40-man roster spot for him.

Darnell had a good year with Triple-A Rochester last season, where he finished with a 5-1 record, a 2.78 ERA and a 66:25 -to-walk ratio in 77 2/3 innings before earning a September call-up. He got sick with pneumonia, however, lost 15-20 pounds and didn’t pitch for Minnesota in September.

In Darnell’s final three starts with the , the lefty allowed just two earned runs in 21 2/3 innings, with a 20:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Twins 2016 outlook: Eduardo Escobar, the Twins’ other power-hitting middle infielder

Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | January 28, 2016

Spend enough time talking with Eduardo Escobar about his baseball career, and he’s likely to continue returning to a central theme: opportunity.

He had the opportunity to sign with the White Sox as a 17-year-old out of Venezuela. He had an opportunity disguised as a setback when the South Siders traded him to the Twins in the deal in 2012. Now, he has the opportunity to be an everyday starting shortstop in the big leagues from the first day of the season.

Baseball Reference lists him as a “shortstop, third baseman and second baseman.” Ever since last year, the Twins roster on the team’s website has classified him as an outfielder. But don’t let those labels mislead you. Eduardo Escobar should be the Twins shortstop this year from .

— As Escobar puts it, “I’m no big guy but I swing hard.”

He’s filled out physically since joining the Twins in 2012 in the Liriano trade. He’s still a small guy but he’s muscular, and for the first time in his career, that translated into home-run power in 2015. Escobar hit 12 balls over the fence, to go with four triples and 31 doubles in 2015. Eight of those home runs came after August 1, when he took the shortstop job and ran away with it. He and Miguel Sano delivered such an offensive force down the stretch that it was easier to lose sight of the fact that players like Brian Dozier, Torii Hunter and endured extended slumps.

Escobar’s 47 extra-base hits last season were fourth among shortstops, and he did it in significantly fewer plate appearances than the guys ahead of him on the list. Ian Desmond and Asdrubal Cabrera each had 48 extra-base hits (in 641 and 551 plate appearances, respectively). Brandon Crawford led all Major League shortstops with 58 extra-base hits (in 561 plate appearances). Escobar did his damage in 446 plate appearances.

That power is a real asset from a position that historically, for the Twins anyway, hasn’t been a run-producing spot. He was rewarded this winter in his first year of arbitration eligibility with a one-year, $2.15 million contract, the first substantial raise of his career. That still figures to be really good value for 11 the Twins this year.

— Outhitting his track record?

Seeing Escobar post two consecutive seasons with relatively strong batting lines is somewhat surprising when you consider his minor league track record. When he was 21 in 2010, Escobar split time between High-A and Double-A in the White Sox organization. He did OK at the plate, but the numbers don’t jump off the page. He hit .288/.330/.405 and moved up to Double-A, where he hit .262/.294/.376 that year. Then he tore up the Arizona Fall League (.300/.353/.536) to earn a promotion straight to Triple-A the year after.

In 2012, the year the Twins traded for him as a 23-year-old, Escobar hit a paltry .217/.259/.304 in 151 plate appearances in Triple-A Rochester. The next season was much better for him, though, and based on that and the past two years in the Majors, he shouldn’t ever be categorized as a light-hitting middle infielder.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan called him “deceivingly strong” last year. “He can hit balls with the best of them,” Ryan said.

“When we got him, our reports were that our scouts thought that there was a chance that he could be an everyday guy,” Ryan said last year. “Everyday player. Offense, defense, durability, manning the position.”

Here’s a look at his offensive stats, beginning with his first full season in the Twins organization

Year Level Age Plate appearances AVG OBP SLG OPS 2013 AAA 24 188 .307 .380 .500 .880 2013 MLB 24 179 .236 .282 .345 .628 2014 MLB 25 465 .275 .315 .406 .721 2015 MLB 26 446 .262 .309 .445 .754

— Taking over

Escobar took over as the everyday shortstop toward the end of the 2014 season. But then the Twins changed managers and Escobar wasn’t guaranteed anything at the start of the 2015 season, Paul Molitor’s first as manager.

It was Danny Santana’s job out of spring training and he did everything he could to give it back. After extended struggles in which the Twins stubbornly stuck by him in the starting lineup, he was demoted in early June. (At the time of the demotion, Santana had posted one of the worst batting lines in the Majors: .218/.235/.291.) While he was in the minors, the shortstop job flip-flopped back and forth between Escobar and Eduardo Nunez, who hit well in 2015 as well. Then by the end of June, Santana was back in the Majors and the job appeared to be his again, while the other two faded more to the background.

It wasn’t really until the beginning of August that Escobar grabbed the job and held it down for good, and whether or not it’s a coincidence, that’s when Escobar caught fire.

It’s not like Escobar played great at the beginning of the season and the Twins were just holding him back because they didn’t want to win games. He had overtaken the job the year before but Molitor went into his first season as manager with the assumption that Santana was the shortstop, and as it turned out that didn’t work out well for the Twins.

Through June, Escobar had 52 starts at various positions (including 15 at shortstop) and hit a relatively modest .249/.282/.392. He struggled in July, but let’s leave out that month for the sake of this analysis because it wasn’t until August that he really took over the job next to Brian Dozier in the middle of the Twins infield.

After Aug. 1, Escobar crushed to leave no doubt about who should be the opening day shortstop this time around. In 53 starts (primarily at shortstop), Escobar hit a remarkable .286/.350/.524 in 206 plate appearances. That’s a big enough sample to rule out the chance it could be merely a total fluke. Now, it’d be surprising to see him replicate that performance over a full season; among shortstops, that .874 on-base-plus- (OPS) would have led the Majors by a wide margin, ahead of ’s .857.

Put simply, shortstops don’t hit like Escobar hit for the final two full months of the season. At least they didn’t last year. If you combine the batting line of all shortstop in baseball last year, collectively the light-hitting position mustered a .256/.307/.375 batting line. 12

Teaming Escobar with Dozier in the middle of the Twins infield gives the team an awfully powerful punch from two little guys.

Minnesota Twins team outlook

Al Melchior | CBS Sports | January 28, 2016

Baseball analysts don't agree on much, but just about everyone was ready to sign off on a Twins last-place finish a year ago. Only the Astros turned out to be a bigger surprise, as Minnesota went 83-79, which was good for second place in the .

The Twins actually allowed four more runs than they scored, but even so, it was an upset that the team was hanging around .500. The offense was tied for 12th in the majors in runs scored, as they got home run power from an eclectic quartet of hitters: Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Torii Hunter and rookie Miguel Sano. Eduardo Escobar settled in as the regular shortstop and chipped in with 31 doubles, while Eddie Rosario had a bizarre season in which he slashed 15 triples but walked only 15 times.

The pitching was less reliable, as no starter beat Kyle Gibson's 3.84 ERA, unless you count (3.10), who made only 10 starts. failed to build on his surprising 2014 success, and Mike Pelfrey cooled off after posting a 2.28 ERA through his first 11 starts. missed 80 games due to a PED-related suspension, and he was maddeningly inconsistent (even by his standards) when he returned.

Glen Perkins was largely reliable as the closer, though his 2015 season ended much like his 2014 season did, with an injury (this time, a sore back) and poor performance. However, the bullpen was strengthened by the acquisition of Kevin Jepsen and the transfer of Trevor May from the rotation.

The Twins have raised expectations, and they just might be able to meet them. Their biggest offseason losses were the retirement of Hunter and the free agency of Pelfrey, and meanwhile, they have added Korean slugger Byung Ho Park, who will serve as the designated hitter. They will also get a full year of Sano and Rosario. Top prospect Byron Buxton will get a legitimate shot to win the starting job in center field, and Jose Berrios should make his long- awaited major league debut in the rotation.

These are not the Twins we have come to know in recent years, and the fact that it has taken me this long to mention Joe Mauer is a sign of how much their roster has changed. A young lineup and a rotation that lacks a No. 1 or No. 2 type may not be a recipe for immediate success, but there are plenty of intriguing names for Fantasy owners to chew on.

2016 projected lineup 1. Byron Buxton, CF 2. Brian Dozier, 2B 3. Joe Mauer, 1B 4. Miguel Sano, LF 5. Trevor Plouffe, 3B 6. Eddie Rosario, RF 7. Byung Ho Park, DH 8. John Ryan Murphy, C 9. Eduardo Escobar, SS BENCH: Kurt Suzuki, C BENCH: Oswaldo Arcia, OF

2016 projected rotation 1. Phil Hughes, RHP 2. Ervin Santana, RHP 3. Kyle Gibson, RHP 4. Tommy Milone, LHP 5. , RHP ALT: Tyler Duffey, RHP

2016 projected bullpen 1. Glen Perkins, LHP 2. Kevin Jepsen, RHP 3. Trevor May, RHP 13

4. Casey Fien, RHP 5. Fernando Abad, LHP

Head-to-Head hero (hitter edition) Brian Dozier 2B / Minnesota Twins (2015 STATS) PA: 704/ AVG: .236/ K: 148/ BB: 61 Brian Dozier may be best known for his home run power, but his durability and status as the Twins' leadoff hitter are also great Fantasy assets. He has topped 700 plate appearances for two seasons in a row, and that's particularly helpful to his counting stats, since he's not likely to post a high batting average. That's good news for points league owners, and so is the fact that his low averages have been the product of extremely high pull and flyball rates (and in turn, chronically low BABIPs). In Rotisserie, a low batting average is damaging regardless of the source, but in Head-to-Head points leagues, it's a plus that Dozier doesn't strike out all that much.

Head-to-Head hero (pitcher edition) Trevor May RP / Minnesota Twins (2015 STATS, AS STARTER) INN: 83 1/3/ ERA: 4.43/ K: 73/ BB: 18 One of the key storylines of spring training will be what the team decides to do with Trevor May. He will stretch out to be a starter, but manager Paul Molitor has said that he sees May beginning the year as a reliever. Fantasy owners should hope that Molitor changes his mind, because as a relief-eligible starter with strikeout potential, May would have significant value in Head-to-Head formats. After some early-season inconsistency, May appeared to be settling in as a reliable starter by June and early July, and that's when he got moved to the bullpen. Should he win a rotation spot, May could very well be the most valuable relief-eligible starter in Fantasy this season.

Impact prospect Max Kepler CF / Minnesota Twins (2015 STATS (DOUBLE-A)) PA: 482/ AVG: .322/ OBP: .416/ SLG: .531 The Twins don't lack for potential impact prospects, and Fantasy owners might put that label on Buxton or Berrios before Max Kepler, but the German- born outfielder could be the biggest 2016 contributor of the three. Like Buxton, he is in the running for the starting center field job, and while both spent the largest portion of 2015 in Double-A, Kepler actually outperformed Buxton at that level. He made huge strides in his plate discipline and used his speed to notch 18 steals and 13 triples. If Kepler wins the job and makes a smooth transition, he could have strong appeal for owners in points leagues.

Prospects report Though he's 29 years old, Byung Ho Park is technically a prospect, since he has yet to play in the majors. The Twins signed him in December, and he will go straight to the starting lineup. Aside from Jung-Ho Kang and former major leaguer Eric Thames, no KBO batter had a higher slugging percentage than Park the last two seasons. That doesn't guarantee that Park will have the same success as Kang, but it gives you an idea of his upside. He should be viable as a mid-t0-late round first base option in standard mixed leagues.

Byron Buxton came close to exhausting his rookie eligibility last season, but for at least one more year, he's a prospect. He had a difficult time in his first season in the majors, struggling to make contact and not running very often (two steals in four attempts). It's not unrealistic to think that Buxton could be a steals contributor with a decent batting average this season, though playing time is not a given.

Jose Berrios split the 2015 season between Double-A and Triple-A, sharpening his control along the way while continuing to get his fair share of strikeouts. He should be ready for the majors sometime this season, but the Twins' crowded rotation situation may delay his arrival. Berrios is still a worthy stash in deeper mixed leagues and a must-own in dynasty formats.

While Escobar has claimed the Twins' shortstop job for now, could be knocking on the door soon. His best skill at the plate is his ability to make contact, though he hasn't hit for much power as a prospect. If Polanco gets the call, he could hit for a decent average and be useful in AL-only leagues. Speedy , who is Dee Gordon's half-brother, will graduate to Advanced Class A and could have Escobar and/or Polanco looking over their shoulders within a couple of years.

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